Transfigurations (episode)
The Enterprise rescues a critically injured amnesiac who is undergoing a mysterious transformation. Summary Teaser The is exploring an uncharted star system within the Zeta Gelis Cluster, when the ship discovers a faint life sign and debris from a small ship on one of the planets. La Forge is in Ten-Forward with Worf and he says that he is interested in Christy Henshaw but he is too shy to approach her. Christy comes over to the bar to leave her and her friend's empty cups. She tries to strike up a conversation but Geordi is tongue-tied. Then Commander Riker contacts him from the bridge and he leaves Worf. On the surface, the away team finds the crashed vessel, with a single badly-injured occupant. Crusher scans him and says that his brain stem has been damaged and his involuntary nervous functions are not stable enough for transport up to the ship. She asks for a volunteer, and Geordi steps forward. She establishes a neural link between Geordi and the alien, to allow Geordi's brain to regulate both nervous systems and stabilize the alien. When the connection is made, an energy discharge enters La Forge's mind, and he inhales sharply, but assures Crusher that he's fine. As soon as the alien stabilizes, all three of them are beamed directly to sickbay. Act One In sickbay, Dr. Crusher works tirelessly with her staff to stabilize the severely wounded mystery man. On the bridge, Commander Riker reports to Captain Picard that the crashed vessel appeared to be an escape pod, which means that the ship it came from must have been attacked somewhere close by. He shows Picard a small module that is all that is left of the pod's computer system, and Picard gives it to Data for analysis. Picard visits sickbay to check on the patient's progress, and Crusher reports that he will make a full recovery, due in no small part to his body's quick recuperative powers. She is also troubled to note that his undamaged cells are mutating, a process that does not seem to be connected to his injuries. La Forge is in Ten-Forward with Worf and Data discussing the salvaged computer module. Geordi and Data present various theories on how to decode it, but Worf is unhappy they are talking shop and not relaxing. Geordi says he is relaxed and has never felt better. He then spots Christy and decides to escort her out of Ten-Forward. When the alien, now named John Doe, finally recovers enough to awaken, he does not know who he is or what led him to be on that planet. The bridge crew attempt to ascertain the mystery of John's origins while continuing their work on the charting of the star system. John Doe has been aboard for over a month, his recuperation speedy and successful, but the doctor is still puzzled by his continuing mutation, which now elicits pain and a glowing energy pulse from his torso. Beverly is frustrated at her inability to solve the mystery or halt the pain, while John is contrite about not being able to remember. Miles O'Brien comes into sickbay with a dislocated shoulder, after kayaking on the holodeck. While Crusher is preparing the necessary equipment, John drifts over and touches his shoulder. There is another glowing energy pulse, and O'Brien's arm is completely healed, to everyone's astonishment. Over dinner with Wesley, Beverly admits that there is something oddly compelling about the mysterious man, but denies anything like a "Florence Nightingale" effect (i.e., that she is falling in love with her patient). As the bridge crew grow closer to discovering the origins of John Doe, the alien remembers fragments of his past, namely that he was escaping his planet and that there were others with him. Riker is waiting for the turbolift, and when it finally comes, he sees Geordi and Christy in a long kiss. Riker comments that he is having a lot of luck with her. Geordi says that he's still the same old Geordi, but Riker says he's changed. Act Two Now nearly two months on board, John's painful and accelerating cellular mutations cause him to fear that what is happening to him may hurt people around him. As he tries to escape in a shuttlecraft, Worf is accidentally killed but is revived by John Doe. The Enterprise is soon joined by a Zalkonian ship. The Zalkonian Commander Sunad requires the delivery of the stranger from Picard. Allegedly, he is a dangerous criminal who is disturbing the normal order of society and deserves death. Sunad demands that the Enterprise return John Doe to them. He gives them 2 hours to make their decision before he fires. Captain Picard, Riker, Troi, and Dr. Crusher discuss what John Doe could be accused of and whether or not they can let personal relationships affect their decision to return this so-called criminal. Picard tries to negotiate with Sunad, but Sunad does not want to listen, so he makes everyone suffocate aboard the Enterprise. John finds Beverly suffocating on the floor and heals her. He then finds another crew member on the floor and he heals him as well before healing everyone else on the ship. What John finally remembers upon seeing the Zalkonian is that Sunad and those like him in power have been murdering members of their society who experience the cellular mutations in an attempt to prevent what we discover is the inevitable evolution of the species. It is shown that Sunad is afraid of him and even more so when actually facing him in person aboard the Enterprise. John finally evolves into the next step in Zalkonian evolution and proclaims to Sunad that he cannot be stopped in his crusade to let Zalkonian society know what lies beyond the painful cellular mutations. Sunad is returned to his ship by John and the Zalkonian ship leaves the airspace and heads back home. John expresses how glad he was to have found people like those on the Enterprise but also apologizes to the people on the bridge for needing to leave, especially to Beverly. Captain Picard states his pride in being present at the birth of a new species, and the new energy lifeform says goodbye to Beverly before he wafts up and out of the ship into space. Meanwhile, La Forge has been changed by the discharge received from the wounded alien. He has been "healed" of his self-doubt and lack of confidence (especially in the field of romance, and specifically toward Christy Henshaw) and becomes a more self-assured man in engineering and romance, eventually dating Miss Henshaw over the course of the two months. Worf also shows his lighter side as he guides La Forge in the ways of love. Memorable Quotes "You must let her see the fire in your eyes." : - Worf to La Forge (who has no visible eyes) "But what would I say?!" "Words come later. It is the scent that first speaks of love." : - La Forge and Worf "I have much to teach you about women." : - Worf "Less talk, more synthehol. We came here to relax." : - Worf "I've been tutoring him. He learns very quickly." : - Worf "Damn it, you nearly killed a member of my crew..." "And healed him." "I'm not forgetting that. That's the reason he's here and not in the brig." : - Picard and Crusher, after John Doe kills and revives Worf Background information ]] Story and script * This was the second episode written by René Echevarria. He recalled, "After selling to the show, I went back to New York and Michael called me a couple of weeks later and said he had a story that was dead in the water. It was a premise they had bought involving us finding some crashed ship on a little moon and there's a man who's basically dead and we use miraculous 24th century medicine and bring him back to life. We practically grow him back, but who is he and what's the story? I thought about it for awhile and came up with the basic idea of 'Transfigurations,' that someone was evolving out of their human form into an energy being. We've seen both of those stories before, but we've never seen the intermediate step." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * After completing the first draft, Echevarria was called back to help on the rewrite, which was divided by acts among the writing staff. The script then received a polish by Piller. (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * Michael Piller commented, "We wanted to do a show where we get to see 24th century medicine up close and personal. Beverly Crusher uses all her skills to save an alien, reconstructing him and putting him back together and sort of falling in love with him. It's a very spiritual kind of show." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) Production * The scene with John transformed was in fact done live with only minor post-production touch-up. Actor Mark La Mura wore a fluorescent orange suit that glowed on the special film used. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) Sets, props and costumes * This episode marks the first appearance of the large laboratory set, later re-used as stellar cartography and a number of other laboratories. * A large transparent interface seen on the bridge of the Zalkonian warship was previously seen on the surface of Risa in the teaser of . A second display that is seen behind the Risian one first appeared in Picard's alternate ready room in , and would later reappear in Benjamin Maxwell's ready room aboard the [[USS Phoenix|USS Phoenix]] in . Music * The musical score in the final scene as John Doe leaves the ship was reused by composer Dennis McCarthy in the series finale as the poker game continues and we leave the ship. Continuity * This episode was the first to establish Miles O'Brien's love of kayaking and the usual associated shoulder dislocation, both of which would be revisited many times in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. * Though only seen briefly, John Doe has actually lost his left arm during the crash. It is apparently later replaced with an artificial arm, however spoken dialogue suggests it was stored in stasis and later reattached. Furthermore parts of his facial skin and skull have been torn off during his crash, revealing his brain and his molars. Reception * A mission report for this episode by Patrick Daniel O'Neill was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 14, pp. 48-51. Video and DVD releases * Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 37, . * UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 3.8, . * As part of the TNG Season 3 DVD collection. * As part of the TNG Season 3 Blu-ray collection. Links and references Starring * Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard * Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker Also starring * LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge * Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf * Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher * Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi * Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data * Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher Guest stars * Mark La Mura as John Doe * Charles Dennis as Sunad * Julie Warner as Christy Henshaw * Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien Co-star * Patti Tippo as Nurse Temple Uncredited co-stars * Rachen Assapiomonwait as Nelson * Majel Barrett as computer voice * Joe Bauman as Garvey * Michael Braveheart as Martinez * Carl David Burks as Russell * Doug Drexler as command division officer * Eben Ham as operations division ensign * Mark Lentry as science division officer * Tim McCormack as Bennett * John Milke as Zalkonian officer * John Rice as science division officer * Denise Lynne Roberts as Patti * Joyce Robinson as Gates * Brian Tomlinson as Zalkonian officer * Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace * Unknown performers as ** Civilian woman in Ten Forward ** Command division officer ** Command division officer ** Female command division officer ** Female science division officer ** Science division officer ** Ten Forward waiter ** Ten Forward waitress Stunt double * Rusty McClennon as stunt double for Michael Dorn Stand-ins * Jeffrey Deacon - stand-in for Patrick Stewart * Nora Leonhardt - stand-in for Marina Sirtis * Tim McCormack - stand-in for Brent Spiner * Lorine Mendell - stand-in for Gates McFadden * Guy Vardaman - stand-in for Wil Wheaton References 47; amnesia; arboretum; ATP; autonomic function; biochemical storage medium; bioscan; brain stem; brig; cc; code seven; cryogenic stasis; El-Baz; escape pod; Federation; feedback-loop controller; G-type star; heart; inaprovaline; kayaking; magnetic inducer; matrix translator; medical tricorder; memory RNA; motor assist band; muscle; navigational chart; nervous system; neurofeedback; neurolink; neuromuscular function; neutron star; nucleic acid; osteotractor frame; parsec; phaser; physiology; plasma; protodynoplaser; pulsar; sector 9569; storage capsule; synaptic induction; synthahol; transformational matrix calculation; tricorder; Zalkon; Zalkonians; Zalkonian escape pod; Zalkonian warship; Zeta Gelis Cluster External link * |next= }} de:Wer ist John? es:Transfigurations fr:Transfigurations ja:TNG:輝きの中へ… nl:Transfigurations pl:Transfigurations Category:TNG episodes